Build guides

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Written for people doing the work themselves. 17 guides covering the decisions that are expensive to get wrong — which bus to buy, how big the battery bank needs to be, what actually keeps a bus warm in winter.

Choose a Bus

Bus Selection

Type C vs Type D: What to Buy for a Skoolie (2026)

Conventional hooded vs flat-nose buses: space, driving feel, cost, and conversion complexity.
12 min read

Plan the Build

Build Planning

Complete Skoolie Shopping List (2026)

Every tool, material, and part you’ll need for a school bus conversion, from demo to final decor.
20 min read
 Build Planning

Budget vs Premium Skoolie Conversion Builds (2026)

Decide where simple materials are acceptable and where reliability, safety and service support justify higher spending.
10 min read

Before you cut anything

Build Planning

Leak Repair and Rust Remediation for a Bus Conversion (2026)

Find every leak, know what kind of rust you're actually looking at, and get the shell watertight before insulation and panels go in — because covering a leak does not fix it.
12 min read

Design Systems

Electrical

How to Size Solar for a Skoolie or Bus Conversion (2026)

A planning framework for panel area, battery storage and inverter capacity that scales to your bus’s actual roof length, not one fixed size.
11 min read
 Heating & Climate

Best Diesel Heater for a Skoolie (2026)

Choose between air and hydronic heat using bus volume, insulation, altitude and climate.
9 min read
 Kitchen & Appliances

Best Fridge for Bus Conversion (2026)

Compare 12-volt compressor, residential, drawer and chest refrigeration for mobile living.
8 min read
 Heating & Climate

Best Roof Vent and Fan for School Bus Living (2026)

Plan ventilation, condensation control and fan placement before cutting the roof.
8 min read
 Electrical

Best Off-Grid Battery System for a Full-Size Skoolie (2026)

Size usable storage, choose system voltage and coordinate the battery bank with solar and charging sources.
11 min read
 Plumbing & Bathroom

Skoolie Toilet Options (2026)

Compare composting, cassette, black tank, incinerating and dry-flush toilets for a bus you live in.
12 min read
 Kitchen & Appliances

Cabinet Latches That Actually Stay Closed (2026)

Which latch type belongs on which cabinet zone, and how to organize the inside so contents stop shifting on washboard roads.
7 min read
 Kitchen & Appliances

Sink and Counter Space for a Bus Conversion Kitchen (2026)

How much counter is actually enough, which sink fits a small footprint, and how to turn one surface into three jobs.
8 min read
 Kitchen & Appliances

Kitchen Appliances and Power for a Bus Conversion (2026)

Propane vs. induction cooking, which blender actually fits your power system, and a checklist for the power budget behind it all.
9 min read

Life on the Road

Legal & Money

Insurance, Registration, Domicile and Cost of Living for Skoolies, Vans and RVs (2026)

How insurers classify a converted bus, realistic cost ranges, the registration sequence, and choosing a domicile state — the paperwork side of nomadic life.
14 min read

Plan the Layout

Plumbing & Bathroom

Bus Conversion Bathroom Options (2026)

Compare toilets, showers, water storage and space-saving bathroom layouts for every bus size.
10 min read

Start Here

Getting Started

2026 Skoolie Essentials for First-Time Builders

Twenty priorities to understand before demolition, roof cuts or major component purchases.
12 min read
 Getting Started

The Skoolie Buying & Build Checklist (2026)

A phase-by-phase checklist from before you look at a bus through to living in it.
10 min read
Guides are written from manufacturer documentation and hands-on build experience, but every bus is different. Where a number matters to your safety or your budget, verify it against your own vehicle and the spec sheet for the parts you actually buy.